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Funds cut, but Beck still positive on Fitchburg potential

Wong: Position became 'political football'

By Alana Melanson, amelanson@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
06/12/2014 06:53:00 AM EDT

Fitchburg Economic Development Director Jerry Beck stands by artwork along Main Street recently. "I can't believe I've had this opportunity for the last six months it's been a gift," Beck said Wednesday.
SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE FILE PHOTO / ASHLEY GREEN

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FITCHBURG -- The day after Jerry Beck found out he only had a couple weeks left as the city's economic development director, he said he continued be grateful for the opportunities he's had to work with so many people across many different sectors in his time on the job.

"I can't believe I've had this opportunity for the last six months -- it's been a gift," Beck said Wednesday. "I really thank Mayor (Lisa) Wong for believing in me to that degree, and maybe I'll have a second chance one day."

Tuesday night, a divided City Council voted 6-5 to cut funding for the economic development director position in fiscal 2015. Councilors cited continuing concerns such as the search and selection process for position, as well as how they were shut out of confirming the appointment. Some also said they felt the position was being taken in more of a marketing direction than economic development, and that was not their intent in creating the position.

"It seems the position has been made into a political football, and that's too bad," Wong said.

The council did vote to fund the proposed community development director and the planning and housing & development division heads underneath it, with a salary reduction to the latter.

Wong said she now must negotiate with the employee union to eliminate some similar existing positions that the new ones will replace before she can begin consider filling those positions.

She believes Beck failed to gain the support of some councilors because he "isn't your typical guy in a suit.

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"I think it's easier to accept somebody who is a more typical economic development guy, but the last thing we need in the city is someone that's typical," Wong said. "We need this city to stand out in order to compete and I think Jerry's the best one suited for the job."

She said she will have to personally take on many of the projects and relationships with businesses and developers that Beck had begun to create.

"This is a pretty exciting time for the city, with a lot of projects happening at once, and we really have an opportunity to market the city to a lot of the new people coming into town and help people start small businesses," Wong said. "That's still a priority, and will still take a lot of my time."

While the situation is "surreal" to Beck, he said he remains "honestly appreciative" to have done what he's been able to do thus far.

"I've been feeling surprisingly just grateful and humbled by everybody that I got an opportunity to talk to and to listen to, who believe in Fitchburg and believe in change, and who really rolled up their sleeves and wanted to participate in this moment in our history," he said.

Beck also pledged to continue working on the "Create Change Plan" he developed through working with the community, but after June 30 it will be as a citizen and volunteer.

"I'm still going to do the same work that I've always done, and that is to try to collaborate and improve our quality of life and make this city what it's capable of doing," he said.

Beck said he still believes in what Fitchburg can accomplish, and that doesn't change just because he'll no longer be working for the city.

"One person does not create the dream," he said. "We're all still in this together. I'm still living here, I'm still going to give it everything I've got."

For now, Beck said, he'll be completely immersed in and dedicated to seeing through all of the downtown efforts and Civic Days planning that he's been engaged with, including illuminating the city's assets with LED lights, putting up gateway billboards to welcome people into the city and working with public schoolchildren to create a giant birthday cake parade float to celebrate Fitchburg's 250th anniversary.

Coelynn McIninch, a media specialist at Fitchburg State University and local photographer and artist involved with Beck's newly formed Create Fitchburg Council, said she feels that Beck's "infectious motivation" has had a lasting impact on the community in his short time as economic development director.

"I think the city has so many devoted people trying to conquer the world at the same time and working in different directions, and Jerry's ability to pull people together and keep us motivated and moving together towards the same goal is a valuable asset at this point in time," she said. "I don't know how to keep him around, but I'd still like to keep that energy going."

McIninch said she believes the Create Fitchburg Council, which is comprised of all volunteers, will continue to work toward the goals and projects it is planning.

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